County News: Sussex mum hits out at online critics

A Sussex mum has hit out at online critics who accused her of ‘fat-shaming’ other mums by posting a picture of her toned stomach taken just days after giving birth.

Fitness instructor Jordan Cruttenden, 34, posted the picture on Facebook 14 days after giving birth to her son Boden to show it was possible to quickly regain your fitness levels after pregnancy.

Jordan shows her stomach a few days after giving birth to her third child. SUS-150212-122556001

But Jordan – who runs her own fitness brand Babies and Burpees in Eastbourne – quickly found herself the target of online trolls criticising her for ‘fat-shaming’ other mums and setting an unrealistic beauty standard

She said, “I think people just didn’t understand really. I think they were quite shocked because they think when you are pregnant you should sit down, eat biscuits and rest.

“I would see people in the gym worrying about me because of the bump. But I have a perfectly healthy little boy and I’m back to where I was before the pregnancy.

“I explained to them that I was a fitness instructor and it wasn’t hurting the baby. I think it was just a reaction to the sight of a pregnant woman with the weights.”

Jordan kept up a fitness routine throughout her pregnancy, lifting weights and running up until her planned C-section in October.

She even took part in a 10-mile endurance assault course just days after finding out she was pregnant.

Her son Boden is now seven weeks old but Jordan says she was close to full strength just 10 days after the operation.

“I was surprised I was up and about so soon afterwards,” she said. “He is my third child so I wasn’t expecting it to be a quick recovery.

“I think you should listen to your body, My body was used to the work so I thought ‘why stop?’”

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